Kashmiri leaders deplore Pakistan govt's lack of action

Claim speeches at the UN are not enough to make a difference

KARACHI: The hearts of the Pakistani people beat for Kashmir, but not the heart of the government, said Kashmiri leaders on Monday.

Addressing a 'Meet the Press' session at the Karachi Press Club, senior Hurriyat leader Altaf Hussain Bhatt and Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK president Raja Fahim Kayani deplored the lack of action by the Pakistani government.

"After August 5 [when Kashmir's special status was revoked by India], the government of Pakistan and Prime Minister Imran Khan have not played the role they should have," stated Bhatt, who is also the Jammu and Kashmir Salvation Movement chairperson.

He maintained that Khan, a charismatic leader, should have visited other countries to plead Kashmir's case. "A speech at the United Nations (UN) is not enough," he asserted. "Earlier, the PM had announced a protest to condemn Indian aggression after every Friday prayer. That practice too has come to an end."

However, he expressed his appreciation that the people of Pakistan and the media had highlighted the Kashmiri cause.

Bhatt, who has lost around 20 relatives at the hands of Indian forces, said that Kashmiri martyrs should be known for their bravery, adding that they were buried with the Pakistani flag wrapped around their bodies.

"We would rather live with Pakistan than India," he stated, adding that it had been seven months since the Indian government had placed the occupied valley in lockdown.

"Our children don't go to school. The names of hospitals and schools are being changed. Incidents of rape and killing are on the rise, but the international community is still waiting to intervene," narrated Bhatt.

Rejecting the notion of mediation, he demanded that the UN implement the resolution under which India had to withdraw its forces and hold a plebiscite, giving the Kashmiri people the right to decide where to live.

"The policies of all Indian prime ministers and their parties are the same when it comes to atrocities in occupied Kashmir," he claimed. "The same thing happens in Pakistan. Imran [Khan], Nawaz [Sharif] and [Asif Ali] Zardari take the Kashmir issue seriously when sitting on opposition benches, and forget it when they come to power."

Meanwhile, Kayani lauded the Pakistani diaspora living in the UK and other countries for participating in marches and rallies that decried the Indian occupation. "We have been fighting for 72 years," he stated. "No one can stop the salvation movement. The day will come when Kashmiris will get justice."

Published in The Express Tribune, February 25^th, 2020.